Out of democracy, rule of law and freedom, what does China most need now? What is the difference between loving one’s country and loving the government? What is freedom of speech – or, for that matter, freedom? With Facebook, Youtube, Twitter …

On Jan. 31, China will celebrate the first day of the year of the horse. Perhaps it should also be the year of the skinflint. The results of a survey by respected liberal newspaper Beijing News, released Jan. 9, suggest …

Now viral in China: A failed attempt at photo doctoring. On the evening of Oct. 29, Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, lit up with mockery at an image (above) posted online Oct. 12 by the government of Ningguo, …

On Thursday Oct 26 The New York Times published a 4,700 word article on corruption among the members of Wen Jiabao’s family, alleging that they amassed a fortune of $2.7 billion through shadowy business dealings. …

You want to know about politics in Beijing? Four words: Watch your back, Jinping. At Tea Leaf Nation, we often try to distinguish facts from the many rumors circulating on Chinese social media. When we heard rumors …

[Update: On August 30, 2012, official media reported Zhang Guangning's appearance at official functions, likely to dispel rumors of his political demise.] This S-election year may be a dangerous one for local party bosses in China, …

Season 2 of China’s hottest political drama in more than a decade formally began with the announcement of the murder indictment of Gu Kailai and an assistant for poisoning a Brit, Neil Heywood. If you …

Season 2 of China’s hottest political drama in more than a decade formally began with the announcement of the murder indictment of Gu Kailai and an assistant for poisoning a Brit, Neil Heywood. If you …

With all the furor over Bo Xilai, his family and the suspicious death of Neil Heywood, Tea Leaf Nation brings you a look back at the political calculations that lay behind Bo’s controversial reign in …

Bo Xilai, the most controversial politician in China, has been sacked. Or as @唱反调 wrote on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter: “Bo Xilai has been ‘harmonized.’” Indeed, on March 15, the Ides of March, Xinhua News …